I am a football fan. I always have been. Really, in general, I just love sports. I've been watching football all of my life, basically. I obviously grew up a Gamecock fan because my mom came to USC. But this isn't about college sports, it's about professional sports, and growing up in the Carolinas means being a Panthers fan and seeing them lose in both of their super bowl appearances.
I'm sure everyone has heard about the new policy the National Football League has put in place regarding kneeling during the National Anthem. For those who don't know what I'm referring to, the NFL, during their most recent owners meeting, decided that players are allowed to stay in the locker room during the National Anthem; however, if players decide not to stand during the National Anthem on the field, both teams and their players may be subject to fines.
I believe I was watching ESPN yesterday when I heard about this. They said that the NFL Players Association was not even consulted when the owners made this decision which I think is completely unfair since this ruling affects them most directly. The Player Association also said, "Our union will review the new 'policy' and challenge any aspect of it that is inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement."My issue with this is that the players had no say in a decision that affects their team and their finances. The fact that this has been turned into an issue, let alone a financial issue is disgusting to me.
As a person who considers themselves an activist, I appreciate a good protest and in a professional sports league that is, according to a report published in 2017, almost 70 percent black, it's only fair that they would be allowed to protest the unlawful killing of black and brown people by law enforcement. Also, this is a peaceful protest I'm talking about; no gas, signs and yelling or anything close to that, none of which is wrong and in fact, I support violent protest as well.
However, I don't see why the NFL feels the need to regulate something that is quiet and mournful.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says this policy is about respect. However, young people of color aren't respected enough in this country not to be murdered by the people sworn to protect them and players aren't respected enough by the league for which they play to call attention to this issue. So, I guess Roger Goodell was wrong. This isn't about being respectful, it's about money.
Apparently, some NFL fans were turned off by players protesting by kneeling during the National Anthem, so to pacify those fans and so they wouldn't lose money, they decided to take money from players and teams for standing up for what they believe in.
I think it's interesting that the NFL is trying to squash the protesting of race issues so quickly but has shown time and time again that they don't really care about drug use or violence against women.
I am hoping this policy is removed before the season actually starts. Players should be able to protest the same way anyone else can.